Collapsible crate



pairs GOLLAPSIBLE cnnrn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 19223.

Application filed March 31, 1921. Serial No. 457,162.

T 0 alley/10m itma y concern:

Be it known that I. Enos ELI S THER- LAND, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Crates, of which the following is a specification.

It is the objectot this invention to pro vide a collapsible receptacle which may be made up in the form of crates, baskets and the like, and which affords a strong and durable construction which is arranged to be readily collapsed. and as readily extended into position for use so as to form a receptacle without necessitating the employment of nails or other fasteners. The receptacle may be made up in a form containing a greatly reduced amount of materialtso as to decrease the weight of the receptacle and also the cost of the same.

The receptacle may also be, so constructed as to provide ready means for displaying the goods contained therein, and it may be made in various sizes and shapes" according to the articles to be transported in the receptacles. The receptacles are provided with removable end pieces adapted, through their removal, to permit of ready collapsing of the crates and the like, and also arranged, when placed in position within the unfolded receptacles, to lock the same in their extended position. The end closure members for the receptacle may also be provided with means for readily locking the same in position within a receptacle.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a crate constructed in accordance with the invention, and having the top closure plate removed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical elevation showing the interior of one corner of the crate when in its unfolded position.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the crate with the closure plates removed and the crate collapsed.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through this modified form of crate showing the locking bars, forming a part of the same, in operative position.

The crate shown in Fig. l is preferably rectangular structure including opposite side walls 1 and opposite side walls 2 arranged at rightangles thereto when the crate is unfolded. Each of the side walls preferably comprises upper and lower cross members 3 connected by vertical slats 4.- transversely spaced as shown at 5 in order to lightenthe construction, and as a consequence make an. inexpensive structure and one which permits of ready viewing of the articles contained within the same.

Link connections are provided between adjacent sidewalls, and these links are preferably arranged at the upper and lower edges of the meeting ends of adjacent side walls. Each of the links comprises a wire loop 6 having opposite portions thereof pivoted to the respective adjacent side walls as by receiving said opposite portions of the loop through bearings 7 formed between cross members 3 and slats 4:.

As will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 1 and 2, the loops forming the links are thus adapted to extend across the corners formed by adjacent side walls with the ends oiithe loops pivoted to the respective adjacent side walls." and the upper and lower portions of the loops extending angularly across the corners above and below cross members 3. The construction, 1 thus described, permits of ready collapsing of the crate by simply folding one pair of adjacent side walls 1 and 2 upon. the opposite pair of adjacent side walls 1 and 2. as clearly shown in Fig. it being noted that the link connections between the adjacent side walls permit of sufficient relative movement of said side walls to allow such collapsing.

End members are arranged within the crate. as thus constructed, and are adapted to hold the same against collapse. Each of these end members may comprise a frame consisting of cross bars 10 and transversely spaced slats 11 fixed thereon. One of the end members is adapted to be inserted in the unfolded crate so as to rest upon the tops of the lower link connections between the side walls, and if desired, a similar closure plate may rest upon the top of the crate in order to close the upper end of the same. It will thus be noted that when the closure plates are in position the crate will be held in extended position, and that when the closure plates are removed the crate may be readily collapsed.

In the form of the inv ntion illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the closure plates are adapted to be supported between the portions of the connecting links above and below cross bars 3, and the closure plates are provided with means for locking the same in such positions. For this purpose each closure plate may be provided with a trans= verse bar 12 received against slats 11 at one end of the latter, and at the opposite side of the closure plate,the corners of the same are cut away as shown at 13. By this arrangement the closure plate may be inserted within a crate with the end carrying transverse bar 12 received within the loops of the link connections at one side of the crate, and the opposite side of the closure plate may then be readily swung downwardly into position within the loops of the link connections at the opposite side of the crate, since the cut away corners 13 will readily move past the links.

The closure plates are locked in this position by means of strips14 pivoted intermediate of the length of the end of the closure having the cutaway corners 13, so that after the closure plate is in position, the pivoted strips may be swung into transverse alinement, and as a consequence into aposition overlying the cut away corners 13 and therefore engaging within the loops of the link connections. The closure plate is thus held against removal until the strips l4= 'are again swung inwardly upon their pivots so as to move out of alinement with the link connections.

The closure plates, as thus constructed.

may be arranged at the base of the crate to form a bottom for the same, and may also be arranged at the top of the crate in order to form a locked closure for the crate.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

lVhat is claimed is;

1. A collapsible receptacle comprising four side walls having loop hinge connections at their ends and extending angularly across the corners of the receptacle, end closure members for the receptacle having two opposite corners cut away so that the solid corners may pass inside of two loop hinges and the cut away corners pass the other two loop hinges, and strips pivoted to the ends intermediate of their corners and adapted to swing into positions under the last two hinges and cover the cut away corners and hold the closures in place.

2. In a collapsible receptacle, four side walls having loop hingeconnections at their meeting ends, an end closure having two cut away corners so that the other two corners may be inserted inside of two loop hinges and the cut away corners pass the other two loop hinges, and strips pivoted to the end intermediate of its corners and adapted to swing into position under the last two hinges and cover thecut away corners and hold the closure in place.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

. ENOS ELI SUTI-IERLAND. 

